Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree: Book Review

4.5 Stars. To me, the plot of this book took a back seat to the characters, but that’s why I liked it. I am a very character-driven reader and Legends & Lattes gave me a whole book in which to watch a group of diverse characters develop, become friends, build a supportive community, and cheer each […]

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The Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd: Book Review

4 Stars. The last time I was in Charleston, SC, one or two tours that I went on mentioned Eliza Lucas. Her father left her in charge of his plantations near Charleston in the 1740s while he went to war with the Spanish in the Caribbean. That really caught my attention. A woman running plantations?
At that […]

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Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson: Book Review

4.5 Stars. The inside flap of my copy of this book describes it as a “riveting tale that will appeal to fans of The Princess Bride.” I hesitated over that. I love The Princess Bride. So much. That description is setting some very high expectations and I don’t know if it’s possible to meet them.
Sanderson did […]

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The Ashford Affair by Lauren Willig: Book Review

3 Stars. I am a surprisingly big fan of Ms. Willig’s Pink Carnation series for someone who doesn’t consider herself a fan of romances. But the witty banter, intrigue, and Napoleonic settings sucked me right in. I inhaled that entire 12-book series and wished for more. The author’s newer books look more serious to me so I’ve […]

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Renegades by Marissa Meyer: Series Review

4 Stars. I loved Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles so I eventually decided to read her take on a superhero story. I like superhero movies but that’s about as far as I go (no comics or other books), so this was a bit of a step outside my comfort zone. I really liked it. Sometimes superhero stories feel entirely too “good vs […]

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The Feast of Roses by Indu Sundaresan: Book Review

The Feast of Roses by Indu Sundaresan Book Cover

4 Stars. I slightly preferred the first book to this one, only because this one dwelled so much on politics. I’m not a strategist so reading the machinations of the Mughal court was a bit less interesting to me than the events of Mehrunnisa’s earlier life. I also have very little patience for characters who make repetitive mistakes in […]

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Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston: Book Review

Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston Book Cover

3 Stars. This was pretty good but it never fully grabbed my attention and I can’t say why. I liked the main characters well enough, though the secondary characters weren’t very distinct in my mind. Ana was a bit too stupidly headstrong for my taste but I mostly liked her well enough to overlook it. I’m always a fan of found […]

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Book Lovers by Emily Henry: Book Review

Book Lovers by Emily Henry Book Cover

4 Stars. I usually like to read “fluffy” books when the weather is warm but somehow I’ve been reading some pretty heavy titles lately. I asked for recommendations and Shelleyrae at Book’d Out suggested Book Lovers. It was just what I needed. I’m not a huge romance reader, but I do enjoy the occasional romantic comedy and this […]

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The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë: Book Review

4.5 Stars. Oh my goodness. Why do we pay less attention to Anne Brontë than the other sisters? I liked this book infinitely more than Wuthering Heights! I’ll still give Jane Eyre the edge as my favorite book by a Brontë, but it’s a closer thing than I expected. Anne wrote both a captivating story and a searing indictment of “bad boys” and [..

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